FullReads

“I am going to see Santa Claus,” the Child answered.

“Will you know Santa Claus when you see him?” the man asked.

“Oh, yes,” the Child said. “Santa Claus wears a long red cloak trimmed with white–” But then the Child stopped.

The man pulled his red cloak about him. It was very cold and he had no fire. Then he took his place at the street corner again. The Child watched him and then went on, wondering.

A little farther on, there was an old man, sitting in a shop, and making toys. Once he had been a soldier, but now he was able to do nothing but sit at his work bench carving, and gluing, and painting playthings for children. The Child went in and watched him work. There were wooly lambs that would bleat, and toy horses with harnesses on the shelves of the toy shop. There were dolls with blue eyes, and dolls with brown eyes, and dolls that could talk, and dolls that could walk, all waiting there for Christmas Eve. The toyman, himself, was fitting wheels on wooden carts and wheelbarrows, and as he worked he sang a quaint little tune with these words,

“A little green tree,
From a far white hill,
Made a Christmas tree,
By my merry skill–“

Then the toyman, who used to be a soldier, turned to the Child who was just going out of the shop. “Where are you going?” the toyman asked the Child.

“I am going to see Santa Claus,” the Child answered.

“Will you know Santa Claus when you see him?” the toyman asked.

“Oh, yes,” the Child said. “Santa Claus will be making toys–” but he did not say any more, for the toyman got down from his bench and put a box of quaintly carved little wooden animals in the Child’s happy hands. It was a good gift, for each animal was different, and it had taken the toyman many evenings to cut them out.

“Merry Christmas to you from Santa Claus!” said the toyman, as the Child thanked him and went on, wondering.

Now it was Christmas Eve, and so the Child started home. The lights from the Christmas candles shining from many windows made a bright path for him, and he felt very happy indeed. He knew how pleasant it would be at home. The Christmas tree would be set up, waiting for the gifts that each one was going to give the others. There would be a fire of new logs in the fireplace, and holly wreaths at the windows, and he would hang up his stocking. The Child felt as glad as if Santa Claus were walking home by his side through the snowy street, but he thought, just before he reached home,

“I wish that I could hear Santa Claus’ bells!”

Then the Child stopped, and listened. He heard, coming toward him on the frosty air, the sound of many silver-toned bells. The Christmas star had shone out in the sky as soon as the sun set. Now the church bells were ringing, some near and some far, to welcome the Holy Child of Christmas Eve. Their chiming was as wonderful as the sound of the strings of silver bells on Santa Claus’ sleigh.

“I shall know Santa Claus by the sound of his bells,” the Child repeated to himself.

Then he came home, and his mother was very glad to have him back.

“Did you see Santa Claus?” she asked.

“Oh, yes!” the Child answered, for he was quite sure about it now. “I saw him when I met grandfather, and I saw him standing in a red cloak at the street corner and helping the poor. I saw him in the toyman’s shop, and I heard his bells ringing just now. I saw Santa Claus everywhere,” the Child said.

And so may every child see Santa Claus, wherever love and goodness are at the blessed Christmas time.